Red-light cameras: State legislators having 2nd thoughts

State Reps. Angelo 'Skip' Saviano and Jack Franks now seek to rein in suburbs

December 18, 2009|By Bob Secter, Tribune reporter

Call it sponsor's remorse.

The chief author of the 2006 Illinois law that green-lighted suburban red-light cameras is now pushing a legislative revision that could effectively undo his original bill.

The proposal, from Rep. Angelo "Skip" Saviano (R-Elmwood Park), would ban the use of cameras to ticket motorists for rolling right turns on red, a significant limitation that would strip away the financial incentive for municipalities to install the devices.

By some estimates, up to 90 percent of infractions flagged by cameras involve failures to make proper stops before turning right on a red light. While illegal, such maneuvers rarely lead to serious accidents.

Camera proponents tout them as safety devices that reduce intersection crashes -- in particular, dangerous broadside collisions -- by inducing drivers to be more cautious or risk $100 fines.

But Saviano said the practical impact of the cameras has become distorted.

"It went from a safety issue to a revenue issue," he said. "The bottom line is people can't afford to pay the gosh darn fines. They are grumbling."

Saviano's measure is one of several proposals to rein in the use of red-light cameras that have been filed by Illinois lawmakers in anticipation of the legislature's 2010 session.

Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo), a co-sponsor of the 2006 law, has also filed a measure that would outlaw right-turn-on-red tickets generated by cameras. A separate Franks bill would reduce the maximum fine to $50 for any traffic ticket issued using automated cameras.

"I was a proponent of (cameras) early on, but they're not being used as intended," Franks said. "I want to take away the profit motive and protect our citizens from overreaching government."

Camera-related fines, most for right-turn-on-red violations, reap hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in revenue for many area suburbs. Chicago, which has installed more cameras than any U.S. city, collected $44 million in camera fines last year.

Saviano said it is not clear whether his new measure would apply to Chicago if passed in its current form. The city's red-light camera program predated passage of the 2006 law, which sanctioned cameras for the suburbs and a handful of downstate counties.